Sadachbia is the central star of the Water Jar in Aquarius, a white star whose Arabic name means the luck of the tents.
At a glance
| type | white star (class A) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 164 light-years (50.2 pc) |
| its light left it | 164 years ago |
| luminosity | 79.5 × the Sun |
| radius | 3.16 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 9,700 K |
| constellation | Aquarius (Water Bearer) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Sadachbia
The card lists a white star of class A, hotter than the Sun, wider and far brighter. It is Gamma Aquarii, an ordinary star of its kind lying a moderate distance away.
Its name comes from the Arabic saʿd al-akhbiyah, “luck of the tents” or “of the homes”. With three nearby stars it forms the Water Jar, a small Y-shaped asterism from which the water bearer pours his stream south towards Fomalhaut.
What you see in the piece
The Water Jar looks like a tight knot of stars from Earth. In the piece its members spread out in depth, and the Y shape only holds from one point of view.
Questions
What is the Water Jar in Aquarius?
The Water Jar is a small Y-shaped group of four stars in Aquarius, with Sadachbia at its centre. It is the jar from which the water bearer pours.